Medieval Communities and the Mad

Dr. Aleksandra Pfau is a professor of History at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. She received her PhD in 2008 from the University of Michigan, and has published several articles on crime in medieval France.

"This volume represents a valuable contribution to the recent trend of scholarship in mad studies and disability studies that has turned toward legal and documentary evidence for information about lived historical experiences of mental illness. Perhaps the volume’s most helpful and portable contribution, however, is its illumination of the collaborative and socially constructed nature of these “nonfictional” narrative sources." - Chelsea Silva, Speculum, Vol. 97, No. 4 ''Medieval Communities and the Mad is a well-written and captivating work. The author’s profound expertise is evident throughout.[…] The book also opens up several possibilities for new analyses and discussions about madness and medieval communities, leaving the reader curious to learn more''. - Jenni Kuuliala, H-France Review, Vol. 23 (June 2023), No. 118.

• List of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction I. Language and Narrative II. Historiography on Madness III. Structure of the Book Chapter 1: Composing Communities: Languages of Madness in Remission Letters I. Letters of Remission II. Languages of Madness from Families and Notaries Chapter 2: Madness as Communal Threat I. Reconstructing a Life Narrative II. Moments of Rupture: Crimes against the family and the community III. Proofs of Madness Chapter 3: Reintegrating Madness: The Mad in Their Communities I. Reputation and Renown II. Community Concern: Chains, Cures, Recoveries and Relapses III. Acts of Communal Justice: Sorcerers and Remission IV. Understanding the Mad Conclusions Notes Bibliography List of Tables